Emerson:Emerson:

American

Jacob

American

Jacob

Jacob becomes Israel:

He who strove withGod—and triumphed.

Jacob the WrestlerJacob the Wrestler

Genesis 32:24-29Genesis 32:24-29

Gustave Gustave Doré, Jacob Doré, Jacob Wrestling Wrestling with the with the Angel, 1855Angel, 1855

Gustave Moreau, “Jacob and the Angel,” c. 1878

Gustave Moreau, “Jacob and the Angel,” c. 1878

Walter O. Mayo (1878-1970),Jacob and the

Angel

Walter O. Mayo (1878-1970),Jacob and the

Angel

N. C. Wyeth, the

Battle of Glen Falls

N. C. Wyeth, the

Battle of Glen Falls

Gauguin, The Vision after the Sermon, 1888

Gauguin, The Vision after the Sermon, 1888

Thomas Blackshear, “Watchers in the Night”Thomas Blackshear, “Watchers in the Night”

Thomas Blackshear

, “Forgiven”

Thomas Blackshear

, “Forgiven”

triumph through

surrender

triumph through

surrender

R. W. Emerson:

American Jacob1803-1882

Father and Son: William and R. W. Emerson

New England Divines—and RWE

New England Divines—and RWE

Born into a CallingBorn into a Calling

the call

resisted

the call

resisted

Divinity Hall, Harvard (1826)

See Norton, p.

488

See Norton, p.

488

Emerson as “Transparent Eyeball”: a caricature by Christopher Pearce Cranch

NatureNature (1836):NatureNature (1836):

s The breakout book....

s The foregoing generation beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relationoriginal relation to the universe?

s The breakout book....

s The foregoing generation beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. Why should not we also enjoy an original relationoriginal relation to the universe?

The Emerson Circle:Some Key Figuresl Emerson’s Home in Concord, MA

Henry D. Thoreau, 1817-1862

Henry D. Thoreau, 1817-1862

author of “Civil Disobedience” and Walden

author of “Civil Disobedience” and Walden

“I saw the tree, but I did not realize it.”

—Elizabeth Peabody (attr.), 1804-1894

“I saw the tree, but I did not realize it.”

—Elizabeth Peabody (attr.), 1804-1894

Sarah Margaret Fuller,

1810-1850

Sarah Margaret Fuller,

1810-1850

Jones Very, 1813-1880 Jones Very, 1813-1880

Radical Politics, Radical Religion

Founding New Institutionson Old Books

The Invented RepublicThe Invented Republic

Liberty Tree FlagsLiberty Tree Flags

A contemporary maypole....

A contemporary maypole....

The Second Great Awakening:

American Religion as Folk Poetry

The Cane Ridge Revival, 1801

Thomas Blackshear, “Watchers in the Night”Thomas Blackshear, “Watchers in the Night”

Thomas Blackshear

, “Forgiven”

Thomas Blackshear

, “Forgiven”

triumph through

surrender

triumph through

surrender

The InventedKingdom

The InventedKingdom

• the Bible as blueprint....• the Bible as blueprint....

That was then....That was then....

• the Great Bible of 1539....

• the Great Bible of 1539....

That was then....That was then....

• and the Authorised or King James version, 1611....

• and the Authorised or King James version, 1611....

This is now!

This is now!

• The First Bible of the New Republic

• The severed link to the church

• The First Bible of the New Republic

• The severed link to the church

Spirit-led

religion

Spirit-led

religion

Joseph Smith:

A Back-Country Emerson?

CharlatansCharlatans(from Emerson’s Notebook, c. 1854)(from Emerson’s Notebook, c. 1854)

CharlatansCharlatans(from Emerson’s Notebook, c. 1854)(from Emerson’s Notebook, c. 1854)

• P. T. BarnumP. T. Barnum• Louis NapoleonLouis Napoleon• Frederick Frederick DouglassDouglass

• Joe SmithJoe Smith

• P. T. BarnumP. T. Barnum• Louis NapoleonLouis Napoleon• Frederick Frederick DouglassDouglass

• Joe SmithJoe Smith

Emerson the Supplanter

Christians, Stoics, & Fatalists

CosmopolitanismCosmopolitanism

§ Overcoming by Relativizing

§ Liberation through comparison

§ Overcoming by Relativizing

§ Liberation through comparison

From Emerson, “Fate”:From Emerson, “Fate”:

Savages cling to a local god....The broad ethics of Jesus were quickly

narrowed to village theologies, which preach an election or

favoritism.

Savages cling to a local god....The broad ethics of Jesus were quickly

narrowed to village theologies, which preach an election or

favoritism.

TranslationsTranslations